


Petals for Armour

by Pulping



Series: This is My Story: Post-Remake Clerith Compilation [8]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Aerith Gainsborough Lives, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, Post-Remake
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-18 19:16:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29738604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pulping/pseuds/Pulping
Summary: Years after Meteor and the destruction of Midgar, Cloud and Aerith live a peaceful life in Kalm - one that they've more than earned. But when Aerith asks to revisit a place from their past, will they uncover things that might have been better off staying in the shadows?
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Cloud Strife
Series: This is My Story: Post-Remake Clerith Compilation [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1726852
Comments: 21
Kudos: 54





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well, here I am again. It's been a while but I guess once you hop on the Clerith train there's really no getting off is there? Hope you enjoy!

“I want to go back to the church.”

Aerith’s voice – still a little hoarse from the shadow of sleep – broke the comfortable silence that had settled between them for the past few minutes. It was Saturday morning and she was still in her pajamas, sitting at the dining room table and sipping the last of her coffee as she mused over the document in front of her. It was a draft of tomorrow’s edition of the weekly gardening column she wrote for the local newspaper in Kalm, littered with last-minute revisions from her editor; advice on this and that. As if anyone on the Planet had the gall to assume that they knew more about gardening than the last living Cetra. But she and Cloud had agreed that it was best to keep her true identity a secret, and it seemed she preferred the anonymity anyway. Cetra was a heavy title to bear, even without the weight of Meteor on its shoulders.

Cloud turned from the sink to shoot her a quizzical look, but it seemed she’d spoken the words more to herself than to anyone in particular and hadn’t looked up from her writing. He leaned back against the counter and crossed his arms, taking a moment to just look at her. The corner of this mouth quirked at the way she bit her lip when she was concentrating, and how her front teeth poked out ever so slightly above her bottom lip. Cloud thought it was adorable.

He shook his head in amusement. “I hate to break it to you, but we’re already married, in case you forgot.” His gaze landed on the gold and emerald ring on her finger, matching the simple silver band on his own – he had never been one for extravagance. “Or were you planning on getting divorced and doing it all over again? Cause if you are then I think I’d at least want a different venue for some variety.”

Only then did Aerith’s attention finally turn to him. Her eyes sparkled when they met his and she laughed, the sound raining down on Cloud like the chiming of silver bells. It had quickly become one of his favourite sounds in the world, and he took it as a point of personal pride every time he got to be the one who brought it forth.

“No silly, our church! The church where I met you!” Aerith drained the last of her coffee and set the mug down on the table, fingers playing absently with the hair that hung in loose waves about her shoulders. “I’ve been wondering how my poor babies have been doing all on their own. I never did get to go back and check on them after you and Reno stamped them into oblivion you know.”

In truth, Cloud hadn’t thought about that particular part of their history in a while. Everything that had happened since – Meteor, Sephiroth, falling in love, getting married, living – it had all gotten in the way. Looking back now, though, he did miss it. There was something special about the place where they’d met; the place that had drawn them together across two lifetimes. Even so, Midgar was far away, in more ways than one.

“You planning on walking there?” Cloud huffed and turned back to the dishes. “I heard the monsters are pretty bad this year,” he said nonchalantly as he investigated a plate for missed spots. “Could be dangerous.”

“Well, lucky for me I have a super strong bodyguard to protect me!” Cloud could hear the grin in her voice despite the front of disinterest he half-heartedly put up. After so many years together, she knew better than to take him seriously.

He smirked and cocked an eyebrow down at a particularly fascinating fork. “Oh really? You’ve never mentioned him before, what’s he like?”

The sound of a chair scraping along the floor came from behind, followed by gentle footsteps as Aerith padded towards him. “Well, he’s very sweet and handsome,” she began dreamily, before her voice dropped to a conspiratorial murmur as if delivering a juicy bit of gossip. “And I think he might have a crush on me!”

Cloud smiled when he felt her slender arms encircle his waist and her chin coming to rest on his shoulder. “He can be stubborn sometimes too,” she continued, “but it’s _soooo_ cute, and I love when he tries to tease me.” Her hands began to roam across his abdomen, the warmth of her fingers just detectable through the thin fabric of his shirt. “Though, I think by now he’s learned that I’ll always get my way in the end.” There was a bit of an edge to her voice now – a rough undertone that was definitely no longer the result of sleep.

“Sounds like he’s too much of a handful to me,” Cloud replied dryly, though his resolve to keep up their banter was crumbling quickly as he felt her hand drift lower and her fingers begin to play with the waistband of his pants.

“Actually,” she whispered against the shell of his ear, sending a shiver down his back. “He fits in my hand perfectly.”

Cloud placed the final dish deliberately in the rack and then spun around in her arms, tilted her chin up, and claimed her lips in a hungry kiss. Aerith smiled mischievously and kissed him back hard, thoroughly satisfied with her victory and with the effect she had over the usually stoic man.

Not in the mood for slow and careful, she flicked her tongue demandingly against his lips, moaning lightly when they parted and she felt his own tongue brush gently against hers. Cloud opened his mouth a little more, deepening the kiss as his fingers wound into her hair and his arm snaked around her waist to pull her closer. She tasted like coffee and sugar and Cloud drank her in, taking her bottom lip between his teeth and relishing the small gasp she let out before diving back in to seal his mouth to hers once more. Cloud always noticed how impossibly soft her lips were. Sometimes he wondered if his were too rough in comparison – whether she disliked it, but the contented mewls that bubbled in her throat were enough to push those thoughts away.

“So,” Cloud gasped when they finally surfaced for air, his lips swollen and his pants significantly tighter than was comfortable. “When do you want to go?”


	2. Chapter 2

Cloud yawned and rubbed sleep from his eyes as he carefully loaded Fenrir’s storage compartments with supplies. Necessities like extra materia of different elements were a given, but he also made sure to pack water and food just in case they were gone longer than they expected. Truth be told, Cloud wasn’t sure if tasteless, calorie-dense nutrient bars really counted as _food,_ but they’d do the job in a pinch. And anyway, since Aerith had replied “tomorrow morning” to him asking when she wanted to leave, he could hardly be blamed for not having enough time to scrounge up some proper trail food. He would have to remind her of that if she took it upon herself to complain.

Just as he was fastening the latch on the last compartment, he heard the front door creak and turned to see Aerith stepping out onto the porch. She was dressed in her old, well-worn pink dress and red jacket, complete with her trusty brown combat boots. It was an outfit Cloud hadn’t seen her wear in a long time, and something about it gave the impression of being more than simply a whimsical fashion choice. Her hair was tied back with a yellow ribbon.

“Heya,” she said, her voice brighter than the approaching dawn, as if waking up at 6am on a Sunday were easier than breathing.

“Hey yourself,” Cloud replied with a bemused shake of the head at his wife’s seemingly endless energy reserves. “Don’t forget to lock the door.”

Aerith rolled her eyes good-naturedly and gave a haphazard salute. “Yes sir!”

Cloud, meanwhile, settled into Fenrir’s seat and began flipping switches, careful not to rev the engine too loud lest he wake the neighbours. He heard the telltale sounds of skipping combat boots and turned to find Aerith swinging her leg over the bike and settling in behind him. She knew from experience that riding a motorcycle in a dress is not an ideal situation, and she tried to make sure her dress didn’t ride up too high. Her efforts, however, were not entirely successful, and something gave Cloud the impression that it might have been on purpose…

“Seems it isn’t too early for you after all, huh?” She teased with a wink when she caught him staring openly at her exposed legs.

Cloud felt heat rising in his cheeks and faced forward abruptly. “Ready to go?” He asked with overwhelming seriousness.

Aerith giggled, and he felt her arms snake around his midsection as she leaned forward to press a kiss to his cheek. “Yup!”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Cloud revved the engine and tore down the driveway, relishing Aerith’s delighted squeak when the back tired skidded a little upon hitting the road. As he navigated his way to the main road, a profound sense of peaceful belonging washed over him – the warmth of Aerith’s body pressed against his back; her arms tightening around him when he sped up a little; the feeling of her nuzzling her cheek between his shoulder blades. It felt right, just like it always did, and Cloud smiled to himself as they whipped along the empty road out of town.

The sun rose at their backs as they flew across the dusty expanse of wasteland that spanned nearly the entire distance between Kalm and Midgar. Even after the city’s destruction nearly ten years ago, the damage that Shinra had caused with its insatiable mako harvesting was still clearly visible – a scar on the Planet; the memory of old wounds that had yet to fully heal.

They approached Midgar from the south, the ruined city looming up out of the desert like a tombstone. The upper plates were still mostly intact, but large sections had broken off during Weapon’s attack, pouring debris and fire down onto the slums.

“We should go through Sector 6,” Aerith said, her voice distant as she surveyed the damage solemnly from where Cloud had parked briefly for a drink of water. He nodded. It was a good plan – there hadn’t been much of a plate above that sector in the first place, so the likelihood of fresh debris blocking their path was low.

Cloud felt Aerith tremble against his back as they passed into Midgar’s massive shadow. She had more reason than most to hate and fear the place, and yet here she was anyway, undaunted as ever. Cloud reached down to take one of her hands that still lay clasped firmly around his middle, giving her a small squeeze and smiling when he felt one in return.

Getting inside was simple enough. The large gates in the outer wall had been left open after the city was evacuated and Cloud was able to drive Fenrir all the way to the outskirts of Wall Market. From there, however, the going got tough – they ran out of room quickly and Cloud was forced to park in an alcove, hiding the bike under a nearby tarp in case any bandits got curious.

Everything seemed so familiar – This section of the city had always been a mess, and as they picked their way through the collapsed expressway, it seemed like they had entered a moment frozen in time. The terpsicolts and ancient, malfunctioning machinery were all still there, and now so were they, fighting their way through the rubble just as they had once before. Nostalgia washed over Cloud like a tidal wave when they came across the first set of giant, mechanical arms.

“Wanna hop on?” Cloud offered casually once they’d reached the controls.

“Uh uh.” Aerith shook her head emphatically. “I think once was enough for this lifetime thank you very much. Unless you weren’t talking about the arms.” She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and Cloud felt the blush return to his cheeks. Unable to resist, however, a few moments later as they prepared to descend the next ladder, Cloud grabbed Aerith by the waist and kissed her, swallowing her small yip of surprise.

“What was that for, mister?” She laughed when they broke apart.

“Just wishing I’d done that the first time,” Cloud responded simply as he offered her his hand to help her down.

“Aww you were so cute back then!” Aerith exclaimed as she hopped to the ground. “Remember how you couldn’t even figure out how to high-five me?” She clasped her hands together and swooned dramatically.

“So, you’re saying I’m not cute now?” Cloud shot her a disparaging look when he reached the bottom of the ladder and came up beside her.

“Hey, not fair!” Aerith shoved him playfully in the chest before lowering her voice and stretching up to whisper in his ear. “You’re so much more than that, trust me, I would know,” she finished with a peck on his cheek.

Cloud, unable to hide the fresh blush spreading across his cheeks, sputtered a little and sped on ahead, leaving a giggling Aerith in his wake.

They were almost there. Just a few more bends in the path and they would be passing through the hole in the wall that would take them to the Sector 5 undercity. Though neither of them wanted to admit it, the nervous anticipation of seeing what had become of Aerith’s hometown had been growing steadily between them. They passed the place where their midnight rendezvous had been so many years ago, through the gap in the solid concrete wall, and as they rounded the bend into what should have been the town square, Aerith let out a grief-stricken gasp.

“No…”

It was decimated. Sections of the Sector 5 plate above had crushed most of the buildings in the centre of town, leaving little more than mounds of rubble as reminders of what used to be. The massive screen that had regularly brought news of hope and heartbreak to the people of the slums had fallen, and its shattered fragments blanketed the ground like a bed of sparkling flowers. A haunting sense of foreboding lay over the ruined community, as if when the people had left, the ghosts had taken their place, drowning the town in the shadow of a time when it had been alive.

Cloud was broken from his trance by the sound of a strained cry, and he turned to find Aerith staring out over the wreckage towards the narrow path that had once led her to home and safety. There was a look of deep longing on her face as she wrung her hands together uncertainly.

“If you want to go see…” Cloud began but trailed off, unable to put into words the storm of feelings that he knew must be worse for her by tenfold.

For a moment, he thought she might insist upon going, but then she shook her head vigorously and turned away sharply, as if afraid that one more glance might change her mind.

“I want to remember it how it was,” she said in a chipper tone that seemed a little too forced to be genuine. “Besides, for all I know it could be fine right? Better to just imagine that it is!”

Cloud nodded his understanding and strode over to her side. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he gently drew her towards him, pressing a soft kiss to her temple as she let herself lean on him. They stood there together – her leaning on his shoulder; his chin resting protectively on top of her head; his hand stroking comfortingly up and down her back, until she was ready to speak again.

“What if the church is gone, Cloud?” Only now did she let the hint of despair creep into her voice – the scared, lonely little girl that she’d hidden from the world so well; the part of her that only he ever got to see.

Cloud gave her a gentle squeeze. “Hey, I’m sure it’s fine,” he murmured soothingly into her hair. It smelled like roses. “It survived me didn’t it?”

Aerith let out a giggle that may have also been a sob and turned to throw her arms around his neck in a hug, pressing her face into his chest and breathing him in. They stayed frozen in space and time for a few moments before she lifted her head and kissed him hard. It was brief, but laden with so myriad an array of emotions that Cloud nearly forgot to kiss her back.

Her eyes stayed locked with his when she pulled away. “Let’s go then, Mister Debris,” she said with renewed determination.

Cloud smirked and nodded, letting her take his hand and pull him away from the centre of town and the ruins of an old life.


	3. Chapter 3

“Turns out the church is a lot closer when you don’t have to crawl through a bunch of garbage to avoid Turks,” Cloud grumbled as they approached the Sector 5 train station.

“Oh, come on you know you had a good time. That was our first date!” Aerith shot back at him from where she skipped ahead towards the gap in the fence, mercifully still there to provide access to the road beyond.

“Kinda wish I’d known that beforehand,” Cloud replied under his breath, hoping she wouldn’t hear him. It seemed she didn’t, or if she had she’d decided to let him off the hook this once.

They squeezed through the fence, passing derelict construction equipment from some long-forgotten project of Reeve’s, fending off the odd Hedgehog Pie here and there but nothing more. The area around the church had always been relatively free of monsters – strangely peaceful compared to the chaos around it.

“Kinda makes me wish we could do it again,” Aerith said wistfully as she gazed up at the rooftop path they’d once taken, and Cloud was inclined to agree. There had been something magical about that day – the day he’d quite literally dropped into her life, and the day that his had been forever changed.

As if she’d read his thoughts, Aerith called back to him. “Well, I guess we’ll just have to make our own magic for today too!”

As they rounded the final corner, Aerith let out a gasp of amazement and delight. There, amidst the broken buildings and piles of scrap, sat the church, exactly as they’d left it, like a faithful pet waiting patiently for its owner’s return. Their pace quickened, and when Cloud pushed open the mighty doors, it felt as though they had stepped right into the past. Nothing had changed at all – it was completely untouched by both Weapon and by time itself. Sunlight still streamed through the windows, cobwebs still adorned the rafters, and there in the middle was a bright patch of yellow flowers, as vibrant and alive as the first day Cloud had seen them.

Aerith nearly squealed in joy as she bounded towards them, and Cloud swore he could see the flowers bending slightly in her direction as she approached, like waiting arms welcoming her home.

Cloud smiled, watching as she bent down to caress each petal, whispering frantically to them, though he could not make out her words. He knew they were meant only for her babies, and it would be rude of him to eavesdrop.

Soon enough though, Aerith whipped around and waved him over excitedly.

“Come on Cloud, I have to introduce you properly!”

With a soft smile, Cloud unhooked his sword, laying it down against a bench as he made his way towards his wife and her waiting companions.

But in a single second, his head filled with static, and Aerith was gone.

Cloud let out an anguished cry and sprinted forwards to where she had been standing mere moments before, but his hands found empty air. In her place stood two children – a boy and a girl. Cloud didn’t recognize them.

The girl straightened up from where she’d been examining the now abandoned flowerbed. “Where’d the flower lady go?” She asked with a pout, her voice echoing as if in a dream. “I miss her.”

The boy shook his head. “I dunno,” he replied before turning to the flowers. “They’re pretty,” he said, a little sadly.

The girl stood up and nodded. “I’m gunna water them later, do you think she’d like that?”

“Yeah! We’ll take real good care of them for her!”

Panic bubbled deep in Cloud’s chest. He called out to the children; demanded to know where Aerith had gone, but no sound came. They couldn’t see him. Or maybe he wasn’t even there. He tried to move but his body felt heavy, like he was underwater – drowning in every sense of the word, with no one to drag him back to the surface.

And then he saw her.

The faintest outline of a figure – dressed in pink and red – faded into view in the middle of the flower patch. She looked younger – as young as she was when Cloud had first met her. Her hair was tied back with a pink ribbon, and when she turned to him and smiled sadly, he knew…he knew she was gone. This is the world where he loses her; where he returns to the church only to find her spirit waiting for him. One last goodbye; one more reminder of all that he lost, before the last spark of hope and joy left the world, with nothing but darkness and regret to take her place.

Tears pricked at his eyes. He didn’t care if this was real or a vision, the pain blossoming in his chest was there all the same. Her name came in his silent scream as he lunged forward towards the figure, only to pass right through her and collapse onto the flowers that she’d once held so dear.

The fight left him. He lay on his back and let the tears flow hot and fast down his face. The blue sky shone through the hole in the roof above him, but he was falling down.

Down into nothingness.

At least…maybe there he’d be able to find her again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorryyyyy I know that chapter was pretty short but I'll make it up in the next one I promise!


	4. Chapter 4

“Cloud!”

His eyes snapped open at the frantic call of his name. He could still see the sky through the hole in the roof; could still feel the softness of flowers beneath his back, but the haze was gone. The world was clear, and Aerith’s panicked face was hanging over him – a yellow ribbon in her hair.

“Aerith…” he whispered, relief flooding through him as he reached up to cup her cheek and she leaned into it instinctively. “What happened?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know, you started yelling about children or something…and it was like you couldn’t see me anymore.”

“I couldn’t, I…” Cloud suddenly remembered the force with which he’d hurled himself at the apparition. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

Aerith shook her head once more, covering the hand on her cheek with her own and turning her head to kiss his palm reassuringly. “No, I’m ok, but I’m worried Cloud. Is it like before?”

He nodded slowly. “I saw….” He exhaled sharply, trying to find the words, and she waited patiently as she always had. “I saw what happens here…after you died.”

He didn’t need to explain, she understood all too well. This second chance that they’d been given had come at a price, and it was a cross they both had to bear.

“Well I didn’t die Cloud, I’m right here.” Her fingers feathered across his forehead and down his cheek, and she bent down to kiss him softly. She felt real, her lips tasted real, and Cloud inhaled deeply like he was trying to breathe her in as she kissed him. His heart rate slowed – she was anchoring him. “See?” She said comfortingly, her lips roaming and leaving light kisses across his cheeks and jaw, before returning to leave one last peck on his lips.

Cloud almost pouted when he felt her pull back, but she didn’t see as she had looked away, her eyes straying to the flowers that fanned out like a thick yellow carpet beneath them. “Maybe coming back here was a bad idea,” she breathed, regret etched across her face, coupled with something that looked a lot like guilt.

“No,” Cloud replied firmly, determined to wipe the sadness from her face in any way he could. “I’m glad we did, Aerith. Really.” And it was true. She deserved a reunion with her babies that wasn’t tainted by memories of the darkness that no longer held any sway over them.

His hand on her cheek gently turned her head back to meet his eyes once more, and her gaze softened into one of love and gratitude. “Ok,” she said with a small smile. “Thank you Cloud.”

This time it was Cloud’s turn to pull her down into a kiss. This one was a little harder; a little more lingering, and Aerith sighed into him. He felt her fingers wind into his hair as he traced the outline of her jaw with his thumb and parted his lips further, silently requesting more. Aerith obliged, matching his movements as their lips sought each other with more urgency. Cloud flicked his tongue into her mouth and drove his fingers into her hair with just a touch of roughness, the small whimper she let out when their tongues met feeding the glowing embers of desire deep within him.

“You know…” Cloud murmured against her lips. “I think I might need a bit more convincing…just to be safe.” He wanted her – he wanted to taste her and feel her body against his; he wanted to hear the adorable and intoxicating little noises she made when she was losing herself in pleasure. He wanted all of her…right now.

Aerith pulled out of his reach and her eyes flashed with equal parts mischief and arousal. He knew she loved it when he was forward. “Oh really, mister?”

Cloud nodded, tension beginning to coil within him, begging to be built up and released; begging for her to be the one to do so. He watched hungrily as her eyes strayed to his lips, then returned to meet his lustful gaze with her own.

“Well,” she began coyly. “I guess it couldn’t hurt to make _absolutely_ sure that you know I’m real.” She leaned back down but stopped short, her lips hanging tantalizingly above his own. He could feel her breath when she spoke. “How about this as a start?”

As she finished, she dove down to kiss him again, taking his lip between her teeth and sucking hard, eliciting a sharp gasp from Cloud. Meanwhile, she took one of his hands and placed it over her breast, encouraging him to squeeze and sighing happily as he did so.

Cloud smirked as he touched her, brushing his thumb over the nipple he could feel hardening through her dress and enjoying the gentle hitch in her breath as his tongue sought hers once more.

“It’s a start,” he said, trying and failing to hide his growing need.

It seemed Aerith was in agreement that further escalation was required, and she swung her leg over to straddle him before taking his face in her hands and kissing him fiercely, almost aggressive, nipping at his bottom lip and demanding his tongue so she could wrap her lips around it and suck on it possessively.

Her dress was riding up dangerously now, and Cloud finally indulged the morning’s desire to runs his hands along the soft skin of her thighs, squeezing gently when he reached her hips. Aerith hummed in approval as he touched her, her mouth leaving his to trail a line of hot open-mouthed kisses along his jawline. Cloud sucked in a sharp breath when her lips found his ear and closed hard around his earlobe, he moaned low in his throat when her tongue traced the shell of his ear.

It was clear Aerith enjoyed pulling these needy sounds from her usually calm husband, and she began grinding into him now, the friction of her movements sending electric shocks through his body as her hips jerked against his. Cloud moaned louder and grabbed her ass roughly, assisting her movements and pulling her into him harder, desperate for the friction, for the heat.

Usually, Cloud liked to undress Aerith one piece at a time, savouring each moment and each new bit of skin he could shower with attention. Today, however, was not usual, and he needed her naked immediately, telling her as much when he found the collar of her jacket and ripped it off only to immediately begin fumbling with her dress. All the while, Aerith was grinding herself into the bulge in his pants and trying her best to peel off his shirt while keeping her lips firmly sealed on his own.

With her jacket and dress now off, Cloud surged upwards and flipped her on her back, silencing the excited giggle she let out with another searing kiss. Meanwhile her hands fumbled with his belt before yanking his pants around his ankles along with his underwear, with Cloud kicking them off all the way and whining when he felt her soft hand wrap around his length.

“I wasn’t lying when I said you fit in my hand perfectly,” Aerith purred as she began slowly stroking up and down his cock, the fire inside him growing to a raging inferno and a growl rumbling low in his throat as he pressed himself down on her, pinning her between himself and the flowers. He reached around her back and undid the clasp of her bra before casting it aside and lowering his mouth to her breast.

“Mmm Cloud…” came her moan as he flicked his tongue lightly over her nipple before taking it in his mouth and sucking. His other hand trailed down her body and slipped into her panties, and he was rewarded with a harsh intake of breath when his fingers began circling her clit slowly. The hand that was wrapped around his cock stilled as he teased her and his hips began to thrust of their own accord, desperate for the friction and the feel of her around him.

But Cloud was nothing if not patient, and Aerith whimpered as he slid down her body, planting kisses across her belly before sliding her panties down her legs and settling between her thighs. Her hands tangled in his hair when he slipped one finger inside her, finding a steady rhythm as he swept his tongue over her clit and smiled at the gasp that fell from her lips. He added a second finger and sped up a little, crooking his fingers ever so slightly upwards – just enough to tease her while his tongue lapped at her faster. His lips closed around her clit and Aerith moaned when he sucked gently.

Cloud grinned with more than a little pride as his lips and tongue swept across her, taking her apart piece by piece. He could spend hours buried between her legs, bringing her orgasm after orgasm until her legs shook, but this time he had barely gotten started when he felt her hands pulling at his hair, ushering him back up her body and into a messy kiss. “Not that I don’t love what you’re doing,” she whispered against his lips as her hand found his cock again and began pumping him. “But I really, _really_ need you inside me.”

She began stroking him faster, using her own arousal to coat his length in slick wetness that left him panting as she twisted her hand around the head of his cock. He needed no further convincing on the matter and nodded, letting her line him up with her entrance.

A long, drawn-out sigh of contentment fell from Aerith’s lips as he slipped into her, the familiar warmth welcoming him in, his lips on her neck, leaving a trail of kisses and nips up to her mouth. He kissed her deeply as he pressed inside as far as he could, her nails stretching lines on his back, the feel of her around him as intoxicating as ever.

Slowly he started to move, seeking a slow, thoughtful rhythm that he knew would drive her mad with impatience as he drew it out as long as he could.

She bit down on his lip petulantly and wrapped her legs around his hips, wordlessly demanding that he speed up, and Cloud was more than happy to oblige. He quickened his pace, pulling back a little farther before pressing back into her harder, faster, his name falling from her lips in a gasp as his cock thrust in deeper.

Fumbling hands found Aerith’s hips, holding her in place beneath him, his lips meeting hers in a searing kiss to swallow her needy moans as he drove into her fast and shallow, before pulling back and pausing for a moment.

“Mmmm, Cloud no don’t stop…” she gasped out, her hips twitching as she tried to free herself from his grip and fill herself with his cock once more.

Cloud grinned as he sank back inside as deep he could, enjoying the high-pitched whine that fell from Aerith’s lips as their hips met and Cloud sucked hard on the crook of her neck. He began to move again at a more deliberate pace, focusing on hitting exactly where she needed him, savouring the delicious squeeze of her around his cock as he angled his thrusts upward slightly.

Her hands scrabbled erratically at his chest and across his back as she began to lose herself, and Cloud suddenly had the urge that they should be put to better use.

“I want you to touch yourself,” he whispered in her ear, adding a small rotation to his thrusts and feeling her mouth drop open in response.

It was all she could do to nod and tremble out an obedient “mhmm” before her hand reached down to start stroking wildly at her clit. Her moans grew louder, and Cloud knew she was getting close, so he did his best to maintain his rhythm – building her up; pulling her along with him towards her peak.

And when she reached it, she came with a gasping cry of his name which trailed off into a whimpering moan as he suddenly drove into her wildly, making sure he was right behind her and shuddering as he lost himself. Her fingers tangled in his hair and he buried his face in her shoulder, hips jerking uncontrollably as he followed her over the edge, each clinging to the other desperately.

They lay there, panting together as the high abated. Aerith’s fingers roamed absently across Cloud’s back and shoulders, her shaking breaths in his ear making him shiver. Aerith giggled somewhat drunkenly when he nuzzled into her neck, planting soft kisses across her skin. As his heart began to slow once more, he braced himself and slipped out of her, drawing a contented hum from the woman beneath him.

“So,” Cloud sighed as he flopped down on his side next to Aerith, his arm immediately reaching across to rest on her hip as she propped herself up on her elbow and gazed down at him fondly. “Was that what you had in mind when you said you wanted to come back here?”

Aerith threw her head back and laughed, the angelic sound raining down on him just as it always did and always would.

“Not quite,” she replied, her hand coming up to cup his cheek as she leaned over to kiss him. It was a gentle one, full of love and warmth and peace, and Cloud melted into her. She then scooted closer to him, burying her face in his chest. “It’s even better,” she finished.

Cloud hummed his agreement and pulled her into his embrace, arms wrapped securely around her, pressing his lips to her forehead. Reaching over with one arm, he draped his jacket over them as a makeshift blanket.

“Sorry I crushed your flowers again,” he whispered.

Aerith snickered. “It’s ok, they don’t mind.” As if to illustrate her point, she gave him a little shove so he was lying on his back and she could rest her head on his chest properly. “They think you’re cute,” she breathed with a small giggle, fingers tracing lines across his skin.

“Oh really? I didn’t hear them say anything,” he shot back, running his hand slowly down her back and over her hips, relishing the way she shivered a little and snuggled closer to him.

“Well maybe you just weren’t listening hard enough,” she teased, before stretching up to plant a lingering kiss just beneath his jaw. “Besides,” she whispered into his skin. “They did have a front row seat to all the depraved things you just did to me.”

Cloud flushed, suddenly feeling very exposed indeed, but it seemed Aerith could sense his discomfort because she propped herself up on her elbow once more.

“It’s ok, they approve,” she said comfortingly, hand coming up to cradle the side of his face. “Besides, they’re a part of me, really,” she bent down to kiss the tip of his nose. “And I love you, so they do too.”

“Aerith…” was all Cloud could muster, knowing that she truly meant every word. All he could do was kiss her once more, slow and tender as he tried to pour into it all the things that he didn’t have the words to say – that she was everything to him; that he would be lost without her; that he would fight against time itself if that’s what it took to keep her by his side. He might not have the words, but he knew she understood, and she sighed happily when they broke apart.

They lay there amongst the flowers, bright yellow blooms surrounding them like a protective suit of armour, locking them away in their own world in which they were safe, and nothing existed but the love between them and the soft petals beneath them.

“So,” Aerith said after what somehow felt like both an eternity and an instant. “What was that you were saying about getting divorced and doing it again? Cuz I think I have a venue in mind.”

Cloud chuckled and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “I’m glad we came,” he muttered sincerely. His vision from earlier had all but vanished from his mind, replaced entirely by Aerith and her warmth. _His_ Aerith – real and alive and nestled against his chest. As they lay there in each other’s embrace, something clicked in Cloud’s heart, like they had finally come full circle; they’d finally done it right.

Aerith tilted her head up to look at him innocently. “I’m glad you came too,” she said in the sultriest voice she could muster. Cloud immediately felt the blush return to his cheeks, followed by a warm simmer of interest settling in his core at the hungry look in her eye.

It was getting dark after all, and they’d need to keep warm _somehow_ …was the excuse Cloud used as he claimed her lips once more.

It was a good thing he’d brought lots of water.


End file.
